Shortly after former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced his plans to run for Senate, a group backing Republicans released an ad with an echo of last year’s presidential campaign.
“Roy Cooper sides with they/them,” read the language on screen in the ad, produced by the Senate Leadership Fund.
Republicans are reprising a key attack line from last year’s presidential race for elections this year and next, betting that anti-trans messaging will help them counter Democrats running on GOP-led cuts to Medicaid and other parts of Trump’s policy megabill.
Trump allies spent tens of millions of dollars airing an ad highlighting 2024 Democratic nominee Kamala Harris’ one-time commitment that detained immigrants would have access to treatment associated with gender transition as was required by federal law, including surgical care. The ad’s tagline mocked the pronouns used by non-binary individuals, saying “Kamala is for they/them; President Trump is for you.”
Widely cited by strategists in both parties as having shaped the campaign, that ad is now being mimicked in North Carolina and another competitive Senate contest in Georgia. Trans and gender identity issues have also come up in this year’s race for Virginia governor.
